Ted
Nugent once said, "it's all about the f'ing attitude." Attitude is what
Broken Teeth is all about. Made up of ex members of Dangerous
Toys and Dirty Looks, this
band combines elements from both those bands, but manages to not sound exactly
like either of them. Of course the signature vocals of ex-Dangerous
Toys vocalist Jason McMaster are a dead giveaway and have immediate comparisons
to his former band. Actually I have read reviews that accuse Broken Teeth
of being an AC/DC clone. Certainly there
is some of that AC/DC boogie rock incluence
here, but Broken Teeth play angry, rudimentary raunch n roll. If this is AC/DC,
then this is AC/DC really ticked off!
This is what rock n roll was suppose to sound like before the depression and
duldrum of the 1990's ruined good time music. Broken Teeth are more 'School
of Rock' type of rock n roll, in your face, with a slight Southern kick, not
unlike Jackyl. I read that the band describes themselves as "cock rock, not
hair metal." Good description. Unforutnately that description is also apt
to the rather raunchy lyrics on many of the songs, not unlike either Dirty
Looks or Dangerous Toys.
However, some songs are just your typical rock n roll anthems. "Hooray" for
instance is about going to a show and being blown away by the band. Well,
if Broken Teeth ever make it to my neck of the woods, I am sure I will be
the one in the audience getting blown away. It's good to hear that some 80's
rockers are staying true to their roots and still cranking out good ol' heavy
rock n roll.

"Guilty Pleasure"
is the sophmore follow-up for Broken Teeth and continues in a similar mode
to their debut. Motorhead meets AC/DC with a healthy dose of Texas r-n-r.
Broken Teeth totally buck all modern trends including the trend to make music
boring and depressing. That's right "Guilty Pleasure" brings the fun back
into rock 'n' roll. The title track has a distinct Bon Scott, AC/DC vibe. The song is infectious and offers an excellent interplay between the
vocals, guitars, bass and drums. Likewise, "Down to the Fire" has a bluesy AC/DC vibe complete with some gang vocals.
"Devil Money" is an equally infectious cut and will have any self respecting
rocker jamming right along. "Crash Landing Affair" recalls some of the swagger
of Dangerous Toys while "Hanging
By The Skin" has a Motorhead drive
meets AC/DC stut. "Second Hand" is whiskey
soaked bluesy number that recalls "The Jack". Broken Teeth are not an overly
technical band, they are not concerned with flaunting their musical prowess,
but that is so obviously not the point. Rather, the simplicity of the songs
is the beauty of them. The band is not deep lyrically either, instead choosing
to poke fun at just about everything with a big 'ol dose of sleaze. "Guilty
Pleasure" is foot tappin', head bangin', ass-kicking, big and bouncy, American
rock 'n roll.

"Blood on
the Radio" was my first exposure to Broken Teeth, although I had a feeling
that I would love these guys based on the fact that ex-Dirty
Looks guitarist Paul Lidel and ex-Dangerous
Toys vocalist Jason McMaster are behind this band. Certainly I was not
disappointed. To say that Broken Teeth sound like a combination of those two
bands may sound a bit trite, but this is a very accurate description. In this
live setting these songs have a firey delivery. The music is of the boogie,
sleeze metal variety, relying heavily on Angus Young-type licks and a ton
of attitude. For some reason I thought that the band might include a song
from either Dirty Looks or Dangerous
Toys, since this live album comes after only two studio albums, but instead
the band offers up a brand new song titled "Bonfire". Fans of AC/DC , Kix and the aforementioned bands should
do themeselves a favor and check out this band. "Blood on the Radio" was recorded
originally a live radio broadcast on 93.7 KJBA, Austin, TX.

"Viva La Rock, Fantastico!" is the fourth studio album from Jason McMaster's post-Dangerous Toys band. Broken Teeth is a charged-up, snotty, hard rock band in the tradition of early AC/DC. The band takes the infectious three-chord boogie that the Young brothers made popular among hard rockers and infused it with the same sleazy Texas attitude that McMaster delivered on the Dangerous Toys' "Pissed" album. I'd describe it as AC/DC meets Motorhead with a side of ZZ Top. Every song on "Viva La Rock, Fantastico!", from album opener "Blackheart" to the last lines of "Ride Upon Glory" are ferocious super-charged rock and roll. There aren't any ballads to speak of, nor does the band ever attempt to modernize their sound. The whole greasy ball of wax is is tied together by McMaster's feverish howl. "Viva La Rock, Fantastico!"reeks of stale beer, smokey dives and pure, sloppy, rock and roll attitude. It's loud and proud rock 'n' roll just like you would hear it standing on the sticky floor of your local rock and roll establishment.